Illuminated license-tag holder



Feb. 13, 1923. 7 1,445,121 1 V H. F. WITTIG ILLUMINATED LICENSE TAG HOLDER Filed Dec. 16, 1921 Pa ented Feh. l3, ltl n HARRY r. VVITTIG, or MARYLAND, nsslenon or ONE-HALF r0 A.

lanai anneal BEUI EMEL, 6F BALTIMIORE, EEARYLAND;

ILLUMIIIATED LICENSE-TAG HOLDER.

Application filed December is, 1921. Serial No. 522,810, 4

expensively constructed holder which can be readily attached'to anytype of automobile; to provide a holder which nay he formed to carry one or more tags! of conventional design, the tags being slidably engaged with and disengaged from the holder in a facile manner; and to provide a holder which is attachable directly to the bolts now employed for supporting the licensetag per se, thereby not only supportingjthe holder but also securing the tag therein.

Other objects of the invention will. be more readily understood from the following scription of the present preferred embodiment of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a tag holder constructed in accordance with this invention showing a license tag arranged therein:

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional-view taken on the line 3-? of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view showing to advantage the manner in which the license tag holder is mounted upon a vehicle;

Fig. 5 is detail enlarged fragmentary and elevational view of the holder showing the license tag removed therefrom: and

g.6 is a similar view of a modified form of holder.

The device of this invention consists of a holder or casing 7 preferably made of sheet metal having the lower margin thereof bent at right angles as indicated at 8 with a lip 9 turned up in the front of the holder. The upper end of the body of the casing is bent which is equipped at ri ht angles to provide a flange 10 to which is secured an illuminating compartmeut generally designated 1.1. This coinpartment is'preferably 'of a semi-elliptical shape the front of which is provided with a transparent pane 12 preferably formedfrom red glassin a manner well known in the art.

'An electric lamp receiving slee e 13 is mounted n the rear of th (.llrcctly' behind the transparent pane 12,

ompa-rtme'nt 11 The inner walls of the compartment are preferablycoated with opaque mat rialsuch white paint so that an]: nuln l ,ou'nt of light will be deflected downwardly It is of course apparent thatthe compartment ll is likewise closed but is relatively, narrower than the closed end 14 fora purpose hereinafter set forth. Asshown 'toadvantage in open at the bottom from one end to the other indiv Fig. 5, a, right angled ginide flange 16- is mounted on the upper face of the right angled portion 8 of the casing. One end 'of this guide flange is engaged w th the front face of the end 15 of the casing while the opposite end lies to the rear of a flange 16 I the which is formed on the closed end 14: of casing. g i 1 A guard frame 17 is mounted on top of the lip '9 and extends upwardly in front of and spaced from the front. face of the end: 15 of the casing. The frame has aportion thereof extending completely across the easing): from the end 15 to the end 14 directly below the compartment 11 so to provide a license tag )late guiding rih which coacts f. i .v i

with the lip 9. The license tag de. gnated in the drawings at 1815 urged through the end of the casing beneath the lip 9 and frame 1?, It will be observed thatbothends v of the casing; have the front faces thereof obliquely disposed so that the tag, when in positiondn the casing, will he in an angular position. As illustrated to advantage in 3 the upper margin of thetae: will lie in close proximity to the back of the casing directly below the compartment 11' While the lower marginal edge of the tag lies within the vertical plane of the front of said comwhich will concentrate its light rays directly I portion 22 of the same.

partment. Therefore, the light rays will be projected downwardly over the entire face of the tag.

The rear face of the casing is provided with openings 19 which are adapted to conformto the shape of and are in alignment with the outer openings 20 formed in license tags. These openings 19 and 20 receive bolts 21 therethroughwhich bolts are customarily used at the present time for securing license tags to vehicles.

carry two or more tags a casing such; as that shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing may be used. This type of casing is identical with the construction above described except that the portion of the casing beneath the illuminating compartment 11 is extended and is provided with a supporting flange 23 whichis arranged about midway between the upper and lower ends of the tag receiving portion of the case to provide an upper tag compartment 2d and a lower tag compartment 25.

From the above it will be apparent that a casing is provided which embodies a tail light together with a means for illuminating a license tag or tags. By constructing the casing in the manner specified, an illuminating compartment is provided at the top upon the license tags thereby rendering the indicia clearly discernible. It is understood that the size of the casing maybe varied to conform to different sizes of tags also that any material may be used which will he most suitable in carrying out the objects of this invention. It is appreciated that various changes may be made in the device within the scope of the claims appended.

l fhat is claimed is 1. In combination with a standard vehicle license tag having elongated longitudinally extending slots'near its upper margin,- a holder for the tag including a casing which slidably receives the tag and retains the same at an inclination, said holder being provided with slots aligning with the slots of said tag, and bolts engaged through the aligned slots of the tag and casing to support the latter on the vehicle and to retain the tag in the casing from displacement the back of said casing, above the slots thereof, being extended and equipped with an illuminating compartment which overhangs the license tag.

2. A device of the character described including a metal sheet, portions of the ends of which diverge and are bent at right angles, one of said ends being extended to provide a license tag engaging abutment, the

portion of the sheet above .said right angled ends having the marginal edge thereof turned inwardly at right angles to provide a flange, and an illuminating compartment en gagedwith said flange.

In testimonywhereof I afiix my seal.

HARRY F. WITTIG. 

